Ice-tank.



No. 754,772. PATBNTED MAR. 15, 1904.

' I. I. HOPKINS.

ICE TANK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1900. N0 MODEL.

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UNTTE STATES Patented March 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN I. HOPKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 54,772, dated March 15, 1904.

Application led August 13, 1900i Serial No. 26,689. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN I. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented an Improved Ice-Tank, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ice-tanks, and relates particularly to ice-tanks especially designed and adapted for use in refrigeratorcars.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a construction which will facilitate cleaning the tanks, to provide improved and simplified means for connecting the tanks in series to secure amiXture of uniform strength in all of the connected tanks, and to provide improved and simplified means for connecting the overiiow to the tanks.

To effect these ends my invention consists of the various features, combinations of features, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings my invention is fully illustrated.

Figure lis a partial transverse vertical sectional view of a refrigerator-oar equipped with a series of tanks of my invention, show# ing a series or battery of tanks of my invention, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side view of said tanks, showing a portion of the car' in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a por# tion of a tank of my invention, showing the construction thereof when not connected in series; and Figs. 4., 5, 6, and 7 are enlarged detail views.

Referring now to the drawings, AA A2 designate the side walls, end wall, and floor, respectively, of a refrigerator-car;- A3, the icetanks; A4, the frame upon which said tanks are supported; A5, the drippanand.A6 the trap through which water escapes from the drip-pan A5. Y

All of the foregoing features are old and well-known and as V'regards their usual features will be readily understood by persons familiar with the art without a detailed description thereof.

The bottom B of a tank of my invention may be described as hopper shaped, the sides of the tank converging downwardlyand terminating in an open-ended pipe In the preferable construction shown the bottom B is madeseparate fromy the body of the tank and is secured to a flange thereon, which projects downwardly therefrom at a proper angle. Preferably, also, the flange b instead of being formed directlyon the tank A3 is formed on a skeleton plate B', on which is also formed an upwardly-extending flange b2, which fits and is secured to thelower end of the tank-body.

The bottom B is preferably made of castiron, pressed steel, or other good conductor of heat.

As shown, theskeleton plates B also comprise fiat portions badaptedto rest uponthe supporting-timbers A4. Y P

In the preferable construction shownin Fig. 1 the interiors of the tanks A3 are connected by a pipe B2, the ends of which are closed and which extends beneath all of said tanks and is provided with branch pipes B3,

adapted to be secured to the lower ends of the pipes so that the open ends thereof will register with each other.

As shown, the branch pipes B3 are secured to the tanks A3 in communication with the pipes b in the following manner: Formed onA the ends of said branch pipes 4B3 are laterallyprojecting lugs or fianges of, in which are formed openings b5, adapted to receive downward projections 66,-formed on or secured to the tank-bottoms B. Formed in said downward projections o are holes o7, which extend below the flanges of when the branch pipes B3 are in Contact with the pipes o and arepreferably inclined on the lower sides and areadapted to receive pins bg, preferably inclined on their lower sides to correspond to the incline of the lower sides of the holes 57. Said pins will thus form wedges adapted to force the ends of the branch pipes B3 firmly against the ends of the pipes In order to insure tight joints between the branch pipes B3 and the pipes Z1, gaskets o will preferably be inserted between them in a familiar manner. In this manner it is obvious that the interiors of allof the tanks A? will be sealed against the admission of air Y thereto or the escape of water therefrom, while allowing a free circulation of liquids contained therein. My invention, however, contemplates sealing each tank separately, as shown particularly in Fig. 3.` This end is effected by securing to the open end of the pipe b a plate or cap C, which is provided with laterally-projecting lugs c, in which are formed holes or openings c', adapted to receive the downward projections b on the tankbottoms B. Said caps C can thus be secured to said pipes by means of the wedges bs in the same manner as the branch pipes B3.

When it is desired toempty the tanks A3, this can be conveniently done by opening an end of the pipe B2 where the tanks are connected in series, or by removing the cap C when the tanks are sealed separately. To facilitate opening the end of said pipe B2, the ends thereof are closed by means of removable caps D, secured thereto in the same manner as the caps C are secured to the pipes The current created by the water running out of said tanks will operate to wash out all sediment which may have accumulated in said tanks and to discharge it into the pan or trough A5, whence it can very readily and easily be removed. By thus keeping said tanks clean their eiciency is greatly increased, as there is no accumulation of sediment to cover and impair the operation of the cooling-surface. Also by making the bottom of my tank of metal the efliciency thereof is greatly increased, as I dispense with the wooden lining heretofore used, wood being a non-conductor of heat and rendering the bottoms of tanks practically useless for refrigerating purposes.

A tank of my invention also comprises improved means for securing the overflow-pipe thereto. As it relates to this feature, the construction of a tank of my invention is as follows: Secured to the side of the tank is a plate E, provided with an opening e, which communicates with the interior of the tank. Said plate E is also provided with flanged taper guides or ways e', adapted to receive a plate E', provided with correspondingly-tapered surfaces e2. rIhe plate E is provided with an opening e3, in which is secured the end of the overiow-pipe E2, and the relation and adjustment of parts is such that when the plate E is fully seated in the guides or ways e in the plate E the openings e e3 will be in register with each other, thus bringing the pipe E2 into communication with the interior of the tank. A gasket e4 operates to secure a tight joint between the plates E E around the openings e e". In practice also the surfaces of the plates E E around the openings c e3 will preferably be slightly raised to create desired pressure on the gasket e4 to insure a tight joint.

I claim- 1. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a plurality of ice-tanks secured in fixed adjustment and provided with openings in their lower ends, a closed lpipe which eX- tends beneath said tanks, openings in said pipe, means to secure said pipe to said tanks with the openingsmtherein in communication with the openings in said tanks, whereby said tanks will be sealed in series, said pipe being removable and adapted to be replaced by caps whereby said tanks may be sealed separately, substantially as described.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a plurality of ice-tanks having hopper-shaped bottoms, openings in the lower ends thereof, a pipe which extends beneath said tanks, branch pipes thereon and means to secure said branch pipes to said tanks in regis-` ter with the openings in the bottoms thereof, said means comprisingdownward projections on said tanks, lateral lugs or flanges on said branch pipes provided with openings adapted to receive said downward projections on said tanks, holes formed in said downward projections on said tanks and wedges inserted through said holes beneath said lateral lugs or flanges on said branch pipes, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an ice-tank and an overflow-pipe therefrom of means to secure said overiioW-pipe to said tank, said means consisting of a flanged taper seat formed around the overow-opening in the tank and a plate in an opening in which the overflowpipe is secured, said plate being wedge-shaped to fit the taper seat on said tank and the relation being such that when fully seated therein the overflow-pipe will be in communication with the overflow-opening in said tank, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of August, 1900. I

JOHN I. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

C. J. BRoUGHToN, BYRON B. CARTER.

IOO 

